Mike Jackson

Neither ‘Mad Dog’ nor ‘Warrior Monk’, General Jim Mattis is a thoughtful strategist

His autobiography is also a treatise on leadership, as well as an exposé of Washington’s muddled objectives in recent years

General Jim Mattis ended his remarkable career as a four-star US marine general, and finally as US secretary of defense. His book Call Sign Chaos is co-authored with Bing West, also an ex-marine and one-time assistant secretary of defense. It is partly an autobiography and partly a treatise on leadership.

The autobiography relates his career from second lieutenant to general by way of three wars: the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of that neighbouring country; the removal of the Taleban from Afghanistan in 2001 following 9/11; and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Finally come his days — a total of 712 — as defense secretary, from January 2017 to December 2018.

Throughout this account Mattis develops his philosophy of leadership. It is one of deep comradeship with his marines, of sharing exhilaration and hardship with them, of allowing — indeed, encouraging — subordinate commanders to use their initiative, and of always learning, not least through extensive reading.

Mattis is determined to understand counter-insurgency, and how it must be distinguished from conventional war fighting. He believes — rightly, in my view — that counter-insurgency’s battlefield is not terrain per se but rather people’s minds and attitudes. In such circumstances, empathy can be a powerful weapon. He is also very aware that military force can result in adverse political reaction among civilians, thereby putting a premium on careful and considered judgment.

His attention to detail, his total immersion in his profession and his dedication to duty are impressive. As a single man he did not have the distractions of family, but neither did he have the rewards. Perhaps this, combined with his religious faith, earned him the nickname ‘Warrior Monk’.

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